Woodinville WA, | |
Woodinville WA, is the home of over 80 wineries. The most famous is Chateau Ste. Michelle. The oldest winery in the State, the Chateau was started in 1974 and has lead the way for wine makers to settle in the Woodinville area.
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Good Morning;
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Hello everyone, once again we wake to a cold winter Monday morning. But not to worry spring will be here before we know it.
I have had a personal setback this weekend with the death of a close friend, so this weeks newsletter will be a short one. I will be covering the trend towards Garage wineries. This trend, starting in the early 90's in France has taken off around the world. But no more then in Washington State.
Today's feature winery is Mark Ryan Wines. Considered one of the best that Washington has to offer, Mark Ryan Wines is based in a Garagiste in the town of Woodinville WA. Mark McNeilly, owner and winemaker, has carved out a niche from amazing Washington grape and is now considered one of the top producers in the state.
Enjoy and take a extra moment to think of the all the people you care for and love. It hurts when they are taken so quickly, you appreciate every moment you spend with them.
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Rome AwdeMeritage Wine Agents Ltd.
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Garagiste Winery.
GARAGISTES - (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) n, Fr. - A term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their garage, who refused to follow the "rules." Now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.
The term Garagiste has taken on a persona of lore that started in France in the mid 90's, when a few "Renegade" winemakers decided to break from tradition and start producing small batches of very high quality wine in their garage or basement and away from the normal winery or Chateau. These so called 'Renegades' have created nothing short of a French scandal among the wine elite. Robert Parker, was the first to recognize this trend and rated some of the wines produced even higher then the most famous of Chateau.
The truth of it was, the Garagiste winemakers were creating a style of wine that was more drinkable much sooner then the highly tannic, long holding wines of the traditional Bordeaux producers. So it is no surprise that these wines started to gather some attention with the wine press and slowly started to be accepted in the market.
Today, the term is more broadly used to recognize a way of making wine in regions of the world that don't have a lot of traditional vineyard/winery facilities, or Estates. Today in the "New World" a Garagiste is really just that, a garage! Or in some areas, more of a warehouse, where wine is crushed, fermented and stored in a building away from the vineyard.
In Washington State, there are approximately 640 registered wineries. Of that number, a vast majority are "Garage" wineries, with no vineyards attached or even owned by the winemaker. These "Garage" winemakers buy their fruit from contract growers throughout the region they are based in. The growers, tend and manage the vineyards, in many cases with direct input from the winemaker and pick the grapes, truck them to the buyers "Garage" and then the wine is produced there. This system adds a complexity and cost to producing the finished product, but has also added a large number of very good wine to the market.
Washington's wine industry has been driven by Garagiste winemakers for over 20 years. Some of the very best wines produced in the State are from this type of winery.
Woodinville, a small suburb, north east of Seattle, has become known for the small Garage wine industry, with about 80 wineries located within the area. The town has become well known due to Chateau Ste. Michelle locating there in 1974.
Ste. Michelle was the first to bring wine making to the region and was soon followed by Columbia Winery. These two power house wine producers have sparked a whole industry and created as small wine making town around them.
Other Garagiste wineries of note in the area are, Matthews Estate, Januik and Novelty Hill Winery, Mark Ryan Winery, Kestral Vintners, J. Bookwalter and Covey Run among many others.
Garagiste wineries are not going to go away. The concept is sound and proven around the world today, that if a winemaker can find a grape grower, contract with him for a number of years, have the grapes shipped to the "Garage", then new wines will find their way to market. There is a growth in this style of wine making, as the cost of setting up and producing wine is greatly reduced, when land purchase and grape growing is taken out of the equation.
Januik / Novelty Hill Winery tasting room. Woodinville WA.
Cheers. Rome
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Mark Ryan Winery
Woodinville WA. Mark Ryan McNeilly founded Mark Ryan Winery in 1999 with the goal of making the best wines in Washington State. Largely self-taught, Mark honed the craft of winemaking through rigorous study and the welcomed advice of some of the area's most experienced producers.
In the early years the winery was transient. The first vintages of Long Haul and Dead Horse were produced crushed and pressed in garages of friends and family, barrels aged in warehouses in the Seattle Area, and finally settling in Woodinville, WA in 2003.
Over a decade later, Mark Ryan Winery has grown in size, earned acclaim from wine-lovers and critics alike, and garnered respect from the state's elite producers. The goal, however, remains the same. Make delicious wines that represent the vineyard from which they come, making every vintage better than the last. Mark Ryan Winery Wine & Spirits, Top 100 Wineries Seattle Magazine, Mark McNeilly, 2011 Winemaker of the year.
MARK RYAN
WILD EYED
100% Syrah
Vineyard Source:
Ciel du Cheval,
Red Mountain
KlipsunVineyard,
Red Mountain
Kiona Vineyeard, Red Mountain
Blend100% Syrah
Alcohol14.8%
Release DateAugust, 2011
Production
275 Cases | |
Tasting NotesThe wine begins with aromas of Italian plums, figs, currants, violets and cherry blossoms. This transitions into red meat, roasted marrowbones, leather, wet tobacco and flint. Lying beneath are aromas of spice, clove and white pepper. The palate is rich and layered with hints of mocha and vanilla from the new French oak. This is wrapped in fine tannins and balanced by integrated acid. The finish is impressive in length.
Best from 2011 through 2016. |
Winemaker's Notes, The 2009 Wild Eyed Syrah is a blend from three of the most prominent vineyards in the renowned Red Mountain AVA: Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Kiona. Using a variety of commercial and native yeasts the individual syrah lots were fermented from 14-20 days. Following fermentation each lot was individually handled and gently pressed. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel. The 2009 Wild Eyed Syrah was racked only twice prior to bottling.
The 2009 Vintage, The 2009 vintage was unlike any vintage we've had in recent memory. Coming off of a stellar 2008 vintage, hopes were high entering 2009. The vintage got off to a slow start with bud break beginning very late. As we moved thru the summer months, we saw record highs sweep eastern Washington. As summer gave way to autumn, the heat did not relent. It became clear that a harvest that had started slow had suddenly transformed into a harvest marked by accelerated ripening and very little time between varietal pick dates. The final straw was an early frost that swept through eastern Washington on the 10th of October and continued until the 13th. Fortunately, at that point our harvest was 95% complete, and we were able to pull the last of our fruit on the 11th, avoiding much of the damage caused by the frost. Once the dust settled, we found the wines to have an impressive concentration, similar to 2003, but with better balance and overall focus. The wines in 2009 are broad and lush with big primary fruit character balanced by fine texture and refined acidity. CSPC +747343 $53.32 Cases of 6 To have allocated please contact Rome at: rome@meritagewineagents.com
1-403-615-3550
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About Meritage Wine Agents Ltd.
The goal of Meritage Wine Agents is to be one of the top suppliers of exquisite wine to the leading wine focused restaurants and retailers in Alberta. We will do this by sourcing high quality , high value wines from unique and emerging markets and bring them to our customer in an efficient and cost effective manner, deliver them fair prices, and support them with passion and professionalism. Meritage Wine Agents Ltd.
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